


That Dragon, Cancer

by nogitsune_lichen



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Cancer, Childhood Trauma, Comfort/Angst, Heaven, Implied Mpreg, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-04
Updated: 2016-04-04
Packaged: 2018-05-31 04:47:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6456484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nogitsune_lichen/pseuds/nogitsune_lichen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles visits his dead daughter in heaven. </p><p>That's all.</p><p>`'`'`'`'`'`</p><p>[TITLE and CONCEPT based on the video game 'That Dragon, Cancer' (©Numinous Games). Please show it support and check it out, however it's a heavy game referencing some heavy topics. So please be warned.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Dragon, Cancer

There was a symphony of static, it's vibrations sinking into the marrow of his bones. A white wash clouded his vision and eons passed before it began to fade. Objects - _trees, bushes, a sandy beach_ \- materialized slowly but surely. Finally he was able to move and the cotton texture in his throat was slowly passing with each time he swallowed. Off in the distance he heard giggling; high pitched giggling to be exact. He knew it too and it was so sudden and stark against the silent environment he almost jumped. Stiles did a full three sixty, taking in his surroundings. The giggle appeared again and he followed it, walking across a grassy meadow and walking across a bridge over a stream, over to the beach. Palm trees offered shade and the day was as crystal as it got.

The thing that got him the most was the sudden little figure off in the distance.

"Jenny?" Stiles choked out, his body shaking. 

There she was, smiling like she never left while chasing the soft waves of the sea. The first word that came to mind was healthy; her skin didn't mimic hospital walls anymore, her head was covered in thick coal colored hair, and her eyes were lit up with a joy he's never seen. Jenny giggled at the salt water, clapping her hands excitedly as if it was the best thing since sliced bread, her white dress touching the water but seemed impossibly dry. Stiles couldn't breath. His insides were going through a meat grinder, organ by organ as he watched his daughter like she was still there. Like she was still alive. The four year old stopped clapping but her smile didn't vanish as her head turned to his direction. If anything her smile got bigger, her little arm pointing to him.

"I remember you," she beamed and waved violently, "hi Daddy!" 

Before he could figure out what to say his body was moving, legs pumping quicker and quicker until he was on his knees right in front of her - _his legs dug uncomfortably in the white sand_. She still smelled like her green apple 3-in-1 kids shampoo and it was suffocating him in the best way possible. Being next to her he could make out some of the redness she had from the chemo and radiation treatments, it dotted across her skin every now and then. Here, where ever they were, the spots looked more like memories than an actual skin condition. Jenny's lower lip wobbled through her smile, eyes identical to his own pooling with tears. She stepped forward at her own pace, hesitantly at first but then all at once she was holding him like letting go meant she'd fall of the face of the earth. Stiles let himself sob; ugly terrible sobs that tore from his throat because he was holding his daughter again for the first time in months. 

"My baby girl...oh my baby," he wheezed almost incapable of taking this all in. 

Because she was **right here** with him. She was warm, sun kissed really. The skin to skin felt so real but the voice in the back of his head was telling him this wasn't reality; and he knew it was right. Which was the other thing. Her words, her sweet voice which he's never heard like this. It was mostly " _Wah-Wah_!" and " _Da_!" and " _Pa_!" and " _Ow_!", but back then those few words meant the world. It didn't matter about her learning delays, she was perfect. Cancer or not, but now she was actually speaking and her eyes weren't cross and she was **okay**. She was okay and that meant the whole world to him because she came from him. Literally; an accidental run in with a witch and Jenny was suddenly real. A tiny little thing that was half him half Derek that was taken too soon but somehow ended up okay. 

"I misses you Daddy," Jenny huffed out, a mess of snot and tears when she pulled back, "and Papa...I misses Papa too."

Stiles nodded, using his shirt to wipe her face and he couldn't feel more happy to be cleaning her up, "I know Jen, I know. We miss you so-so-so much. All the time."

"Where's Papa?" 

"He couldn't come, but he told me to tell you he loves you so much. He misses you everyday." 

Jenny nodded like she understood and he was unsure if she really did or not. What he did know for sure is that his time here is limited, he needed to get himself together before it was too late. Swallowing the giant lump of raw emotion clogging this throat he wiped his own face off and looked at the toddler. She seemed borderline hysterical to see him, but her eye contact was short lived as soon as a puppy came bolting from the trees and onto the sand. Jenny turned towards the tiny thing and gasped in delight, bending down to pick it up even if she did so awkwardly. 

"Daddy, this is Lola! I've always wanted a puppy and now I has one. She's here so I dun get all lonely," Jenny introduced - _Stiles remembers perfectly all the late night hospital conversations when she'd ask for a puppy_ \- and held Lola up higher. 

Stiles let himself smile, his face feeling like it was about to split into two, "she's so cute baby. I'm happy you have a friend here."

After that it was silent for a while. Lola was set back on the sand and the little dog waddled over to a checkered blanket, laying down with a yawn. Meanwhile; Jenny looked back to the water like it held all the answers she needed. Stiles felt like this was too fucking much. She was all alone up here in her own lonely paradise. Free of pain, free of sickness, but all alone and it tore at his heart. A part of him is screaming to hell, Derek should be here with them, getting this chance. Jenny sighed and turned without word towards the blanket too, retreating to that shaded spot only to plop down next to Lola. She patted her lap in signal for him to come and he stood, sandy legs and all, and sat next to her feeling like he could do this forever if it meant he'd be with her. 

"I'm happy I'm not sick anymore," she started.

Stiles listened to her, letting her talk. He'd let her talk for years if he could.

"Here I get to eat all I want! I never get full and I don't get sick," she continued, "I also get toys. Yesterday I got to ride on a boat, Lola got to come wif me."

The ocean breeze was nice, cooled down his flaming cheeks and his tear stung eyes. The trees rustled with it creating a bubble of sound around them. 

"Are you and Papa and Grandpa otay? I know I'm not there anymore, I'm here," she finished, and their eyes finally met again but this time they both seemed to feel the same thing.

 **Acceptance**. 

Stiles reached out gently, his hands gripping her sides like a familiar but unpracticed dance, and he settled her on his lap. He wanted nothing but to hold her close forever, but he only had until sunset which wasn't for a while but too soon for comfort. Jenny relaxed and her body went limp against his. "We're okay most of the time. Sometimes we're really sad because we miss you lots, but we're gonna be okay," Stiles answered, voice cracking and throat constricting with each painful syllable. The four year old gripped his shirt like a vice, shaking with muted cries with a sputtered " _misses you lots too_ " and he couldn't have that. He couldn't have this trip just be tears, he's had enough tears for a life time. So has she; especially her. Tears when she was tired, when she was being touched by a doctor, when she would bang her head on the bars of her crib because her head was in pain. There was always tears since ten months old. 

"No no baby girl, come on Jen no tears. We're gonna play and then we're gonna have dinner - _whatever you want kiddo_ -, and then I'm gonna put you to bed. Sound good?" Stiles asked wanting to most he could get. 

Fuck it if it was selfish, they both needed this. 

Jenny looked up and nodded, this time whiping her own tears away. He stood her up and did so himself, Lola kept sleeping. Stiles could only think of that puppy as a companion for Jenny, dormant while he was here, it probably would spark up again the moment he left. When he turned back to look from Lola to his daughter who was running to a marry-go-round that hadn't been there before. She was calling out for him to push her round and round. He ran after her; letting her climb to the middle before spinning her for what felt like hours but was merely minutes. Her laughter was like sweet music to his ears, better than Mozart and Beethoven. Her smile was filling the massive hole in his heart with every second that passed. After the marry-go-round lost it's spark Jenny made it vanish as quick as it came, kites appearing next along with stronger wind. Stiles helped her hold the handle while a massive rainbow bird kite soared above them. They cheered with each twist of the handle which had the bird doing delicate spirals.

This was daddy-daughter time at it's finest. 

Eventually the sun was setting and they agreed it was dinner time. Back on the blanket Lola was awake and eating pancakes that were practically drowning in syrup. 

"Lola loves the syrup," Jenny explained.

Stiles chuckled, "everyone loves the syrup. So Jen, what's for dinner?"

She looked at him and thought hard for a moment, eyebrows - _which were all Derek_ \- scrunching up - _the look was all Hale_ \- in focus until the final answer was... "can we has grilled cheeses and chocolate milk?" 

"Of course, anything you want baby."

That's how he found himself nearly crying at grilled cheese. This was it, this was all ending so very soon and it was killing him. He'd do anything to make it last longer, just another day, or a week. Rationally he knows that would prolong the inevitable and Deaton would probably be very pissed. It was a very wonderful hypothetical for him to cry over though. Jenny blew bubbles into the milk she had and he laughed for a while, joining her even if it was kinda gross. The food was really good, their cheese was stringy and tangy, the milk was very chocolaty. It was the best dinner he's had in a while, and he has recently eaten Melissa's cherry pie a la mode. Over the course of dinner she asked about people she sort of remembers; mostly Derek, and his father. But there were questions about Scott and Lydia thrown in there, she remembers the stuffed puppy Scott gave her and suddenly Lola's appearance made sense. He was telling Scott the moment he got back because that would mean a lot to the guy. He told her about the hospital, how everyone thought she'd been so brave.

She had the kind of cancer that is aggressive, spreads fast, and doesn't relent. 

They thought she was so brave they named the new play room after her, for all the other sick kids to play in.

Jenny's Room; they called it.

She had her own little plaque on the wall and everything. Sometimes he and Derek would go visit the room. 

"Can you put me to bed before you go bye-bye?" Jenny asked when she finished her chocolate milk. 

"Yeah, do you sleep here on the blanket?" He asked and she nodded, an extra blanket and a familiar pillow popping up along with a sippy cup he and Derek also had in their cabinets at home. She made herself comfortable, Lola tucked in her arms and if this was anywhere else Stiles would be worried she'd crush the poor animal. He lowered himself down to lay beside her, wrapping her up in his arms and held on for dear life. For a minute they looked up at the sky, the stars slowly forming. To the east it was a blur of blue and purple, and they could actually see the galaxy within that too. To the west had a bright display of oranges, pinks, and yellows that put every fire to shame with it's color. 

Stiles couldn't hold it back anymore, salty tears fell down his cheeks in rapid succession, only for Jenny to wipe away. 

He looked to her. 

"Daddy," she said slowly, voice low and near hoarse, "tank you for visiting me. I had so much fun in our little heaven. Will...you visit me again?" 

Stiles opened his mouth, words seeming unable to form. His eyes caught the ocean and he felt the panic rise in his chest, ice cubes were popping up. No-no-no he wasn't ready to leave her again. 

"Oh sweetheart, one day, I promise I will but it might be a while," Stiles breathed, pressing a kiss to her forehead, his hands brushing through her hair.

More ice cubes popped up and the smell of mistletoe burned his nose. The sky was darkening quickly.

"Otay. Will you sing to me?" Jenny asked looking a little better with a promise to hold on to.

"Yes. Go to sleep Jen, I love you, more than you'll ever know," Stiles bit out pouring as much love as he possibly could into those words, face twitching with the urge to just wail and wail until he couldn't any more. He managed a horrible off pitch version of "Here Comes The Sun" because the fucking irony is real, but it was her favorite. Derek would sing it to her when she was being put under for surgery or an MRI. Derek would sing it to her before she went to bed. Derek would sing it to him because she was gone now, and there was nobody else to sing it to. Jenny's eyes were slipping shut, her breaths evening out, and he is so happy for her. He can't even describe the feeling, it was kind of like this bursting coming from his chest, somewhere deep down inside him was just exploding with joy. The static returned, and a soapy feeling washed over his body, and slowly all the trees around him were vanishing in the white wash all over again. 

Every grain of sand was vanishing, every twinkling star was fading into the dark abyss, every water particle was slowly receding towards the horizon, until the only thing left was him on a blanket with Jenny and Lola slowly fading too. 

"I love you Daddy." 

It was the last thing he heard before the static took over and she was gone. 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> EXPLANATION: 
> 
> For those of you who feel like this needs some talk here it is. The concept is basically the entire plot of the video game 'That Dragon, Cancer'. However; in this fic we only see a modified version of the last game chapter titled 'Picnic At The Edge of The World' where we see Joel playing in his own little heaven. Stiles and Derek lost their daughter Jenny not to long ago, it's been a few months really. It shakes the entire pack, eats both men entirely until their just shells. The witch was a one time thing, but Deaton found a way for them to get closure. Accept the loop is only stable for one person and Derek let's Stiles take it. So they do the whole ice bath thing Isaac, Stiles, Allison, and Scott went through in season 3. Stiles' mental consciousness puts itself into Jenny's heaven and Stiles gets to make sure she's okay. By the end I bet a lot of you are wondering what happens next and that's up to you. In my mind I figure Stiles tells the pack most details, and tells Derek every single detail down to the length of Jenny's toe nails and every hair on her little head. Then they eventually adopt a new child because though Jenny went through what no child should go through, this story is all about closing her door for Derek and Stiles. They'll never forget her obviously and they'll give flowers to her grave on her birthday and holidays, but they can move on. They can rebuild their family and pack. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, please comment and kudo if you please. Sorry if this wasn't all that great, look on my profile, it's almost been a year, I'm probably rusty as fuck. 
> 
> REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT THE GAME ON YOUTUBE. IT'S REALLY SO FUCKING GOOD (it's a true story).


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